Цитаты из книги Amoretti and Epithalamion

ONE day I wrote her name vpon the strand, but came the waues and washed it away: agayne I wrote it with a second hand, but came the tyde, and made my paynes his pray. Vayne man, sayd she, that doest in vaine assay, a mortall thing so to immortalize. for I my selue shall lyke to this decay, and eek my name bee wyped out lykewize. Not so, (quod I) let baser things deuize, to dy in dust, but you shall liue by fame: my verse your vertues rare shall eternize, and in the heuens wryte your glorious name. Where whenas death shall all the world subdew, our loue shall liue, and later life renew.

FAYRE eyes, the myrrour of my mazed hart, what wondrous vertue is contaynd in you the which both lyfe and death forth from you dart into the obiect of your mighty view? For, when ye mildly looke with louely hew, then is my soule with life and loue inspired: but when ye lowre, or looke on me askew then doe I die, as one with lightning fyred. But since that lyfe is more then death desyred, looke euer louely, as becomes you best, that your bright beams of my weak eies admyred, may kindle liuing fire within my brest. Such life should be the honor of your light, such death the sad ensample of your might.

SHALL I then silent be or shall I speake? And if I speake, her wrath renew I shall: and if I silent be, my hart will breake, or choked be with ouerflowing gall. What tyranny is this both my hart to thrall, and eke my toung with proud restraint to tie? that nether I may speake nor thinke at all, but like a stupid stock in silence die. Yet I my hart with silence secretly will teach to speak, and my iust cause to plead: and eke mine eies with meeke humility, loue learned letters to her eyes to read. Which her deep wit, that true harts thought can spel, wil soone conceiue, and learne to construe well.

SONNET. XXX. MY loue is lyke to yse, and I to fyre; how comes it then that this her cold so great is not dissolu'd through my so hot desyre, but harder growes the more I her intreat? Or how comes it that my exceeding heat is not delayd by her hart frosen cold: but that I burne much more in boyling sweat, and feel my flames augmented manifold? What more miraculous thing may be told that fire which all things melts, should harden yse: and yse which is congeald with sencelesse cold, should kindle fyre by wonderfull deuyse. Such is the powre of loue in gentle mind, that it can alter all the course of kynd.

SONNET. XVII. THE glorious portraict of that Angels face, Made to amaze weake mens confused skil: and this worlds worthlesse glory to embase, what pen, what pencill can expresse her fill? For though he colours could deuize at will, and eke his learned hand at pleasure guide: least trembling it his workmanship should spill, yet many wondrous things there are beside. The sweet eye-glaunces, that like arrowes glide, the charming smiles, that rob sence from the hart: the louely pleasance and the lofty pride cannot expressed be by any art. A greater craftesmans hand thereto doth neede, that can expresse the life of things indeed.

SONNET. XVI. ONE day as I vnwarily did gaze on those fayre eyes my loues immortall light: the whiles my stonisht hart stood in amaze, through sweet illusion of her lookes delight. I mote perceiue how in her glauncing sight, legions of loues with little wings did fly: darting their deadly arrowes fyry bright, at euery rash beholder passing by. One of those archers closely I did spy, ayming his arrow at my very hart: when suddenly with twincle of her eye, the Damzell broke his misintended dart. Had she not so doon, sure I had bene slayne, yet as it was, I hardly scap't with paine.

SONNET. XV. YE tradefull Merchants that with weary toyle, do seeke most pretious things to make your gain: and both the Indias of their treasures spoile, what needeth you to seeke so farre in vaine? For loe my loue doth in her selfe containe all this worlds riches that may farre be found; if Saphyres, loe her eies be Saphyres plaine, if Rubies, loe hir lips be Rubies found; If Pearles, hir teeth be pearles both pure and round; if Yuorie, her forhead yuory weene; if Gold, her locks are finest gold on ground; if siluer, her faire hands are siluer sheene, But that which fairest is, but few behold, her mind adornd with vertues manifold.

SONNET. XIIII. RETOURNE agayne my forces late dismayd, Vnto the siege by you abandon'd quite, great shame it is to leaue like one afrayd, so fayre a peece for one repulse so light. Gaynst such strong castles needeth greater might, then those small forts which ye were wont belay, such haughty mynds enur'd to hardy fight, disdayne to yield vnto the first assay. Bring therefore all the forces that ye may, and lay incessant battery to her heart, playnts, prayers, vowes, ruth, sorrow, and dismay, those engins can the proudest loue conuert. And if those fayle fall downe and dy before her, so dying liue, and liuing do adore her.